Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Ramon and Samara, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in San Ramon: $1,729 a month against $2,032 in Samara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Ramon
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San Ramon Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index

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San Ramon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,729

/mo nomad

Samara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Ramon and in Samara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Ramon and in Samara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,729 in San Ramon versus $2,032 in Samara.

San Ramon $1,729
Samara $2,032

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,722 in San Ramon versus $3,533 in Samara.

San Ramon $2,722
Samara $3,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,715 in San Ramon versus $5,034 in Samara.

San Ramon $3,715
Samara $5,034

Living in San Ramon costs roughly 15% less than in Samara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Ramon 27% above, Samara 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,500

$11.07 ₡4,997

10.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 ₡27.9K

$62.2 ₡28.1K

-0.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 ₡5,276

$11.70 ₡5,282

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.82 ₡1,726

$4.34 ₡1,960

-11.98%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₡996

$2.72 ₡1,229

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₡884

$1.92 ₡866

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,357

$3.32 ₡1,501

-9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 ₡2,126

$4.51 ₡2,036

4.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,077

$2.42 ₡1,095

-1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 ₡1,371

$3.05 ₡1,376

-0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,141

$2.50 ₡1,129

1.20%

Eggs

$5.07 ₡2,288

$3.46 ₡1,561

46.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ₡4,869

$10.78 ₡4,868

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 ₡4,654

$10.49 ₡4,736

-1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.28 ₡6,446

$10.82 ₡4,885

31.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 ₡2,253

$5.01 ₡2,263

-0.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.65 ₡745

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 ₡1,471

$4.72 ₡2,129

-30.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 ₡1,546

$3.82 ₡1,723

-10.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,442

$3.72 ₡1,679

-14.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₡1,452

$3.69 ₡1,665

-12.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₡547

$1.08 ₡487

12.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 ₡1,236

$3.09 ₡1,397

-11.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 ₡2,511

$5.57 ₡2,516

-0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 ₡7,362

$18.86 ₡8,513

-13.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₡1,154

$2.78 ₡1,255

-7.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₡1,234

$2.48 ₡1,119

10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡587

$1.40 ₡630

-7.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,108

$2.48 ₡1,118

-1.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.57 ₡709

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ₡4,005

$8.51 ₡3,843

4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.52 ₡686

1.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$34.3K ₡15.5M

0.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.3K ₡18.7M

$41.2K ₡18.6M

0.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$144 ₡65.2K

$94.0 ₡42.4K

53.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$44.11 ₡19.9K

$35.45 ₡16.0K

24.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$59.0 ₡26.6K

-8.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 ₡26.6K

$66.9 ₡30.2K

-11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,526

$7.88 ₡3,556

-0.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$843 ₡380.8K

$502 ₡226.4K

68.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ₡7.7M

$6,013 ₡2.7M

183.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.8K

$67.1 ₡30.3K

5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 ₡24.9K

$55.5 ₡25.1K

-0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.1K

$129 ₡58.4K

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ₡56.5K

$133 ₡60.0K

-5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ₡368.5K

$1,373 ₡619.7K

-40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₡282.5K

$967 ₡436.4K

-35.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 ₡859.0K

$3,769 ₡1.7M

-49.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 ₡563.9K

$2,611 ₡1.2M

-52.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,145 ₡516.7K

$4,955 ₡2.2M

-76.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 ₡521.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Ramon: October 24, 2026

Last update for Samara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Ramon

$626 36.2%

Samara

$967 47.6% 54.5% $341

Groceries & Markets

San Ramon

$380 22%

Samara

$385 19% 1.3% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Ramon

$242 14%

Samara

$188 9.3% 22.3% $54

Eating Out

San Ramon

$220 12.7%

Samara

$220 10.8% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Ramon

$171 9.9%

Samara

$173 8.5% 1.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

San Ramon

$75 4.3%

Samara

$83 4.1% 10.7% $8

Getting Around

San Ramon

$16 * 0.9%

Samara

$16 * 0.8% 2.6% $0.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $816 in San Ramon and $1,373 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in San Ramon vs $62 in Samara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $385 per month, with San Ramon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Ramon

🇨🇷 Samara

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

Same time as San Ramon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

1,071

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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San Ramon Samara 120 km

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San Ramon
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Ramon vs Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,729 in San Ramon and $2,032 in Samara, so San Ramon is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,593 in San Ramon and $3,048 in Samara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $816 in San Ramon versus $1,373 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $843 in San Ramon versus $502 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,729 per month in San Ramon versus $2,032 in Samara – San Ramon is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though San Ramon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, San Ramon and Samara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.